Building automation systems encompass a wide variety of systems that aid in the monitoring and control of various aspects of building operation. Building automation systems (which may also be referred to herein as “building control systems”) include security systems, fire safety systems, lighting systems, shading systems, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Lighting systems shading systems, and HVAC systems are sometimes referred to as “environmental control systems” because these systems control the environmental conditions within the building. A single facility may include multiple building automation systems (e.g., a security system, a fire system and an environmental control system). Multiple building automation systems may be arranged separately from one another or as a single system with a plurality of subsystems that are controlled by a common control station or server. The common control station or server may be contained within the building or remote from the building, depending upon the implementation.
One example of a building automation system control station is the Apogee® Insight® Workstation, available from Siemens Industry, Inc., Building Technologies Division, of Buffalo Grove, Ill. (“Siemens”), which may be used with the Apogee® building automation system, also available from Siemens. In this system, several control stations connected via an Ethernet or another type of network may be distributed throughout one or more building locations, each having the ability to monitor and control system operation.
The typical building automation system (including those utilizing the Apogee® Insight® Workstation) has a plurality of field panels that are in communication with the central control station. While the central control station is generally used to make modifications and/or changes to one or more of the various components of the building automation system, a field panel may also be operative to allow certain modifications and/or changes to one or more parameters of the system. This typically includes changes to parameters such as temperature and lighting, and/or similar parameters.
The central control station and field panels are in communication with various field devices, otherwise known as “points”. Field devices are typically in communication with field panels of building automation systems and are operative to measure, monitor, and/or control various building automation system parameters. Example field devices include lights, blinds, thermostats, damper actuators, alarms, HVAC devices, sprinkler systems, speakers, door locks, and numerous other field devices as will be recognized by those of skill in the art. These field devices receive control signals from the central control station and/or field panels. Accordingly, building automation systems are able to control various aspects of building operation by controlling the field devices.
Large commercial and industrial facilities have numerous field devices that are used for environmental control purposes. Many of these field devices are controllers that have been configured for a specific type of control and communication (such as BACnet). Many variants of a field device are manufactured to address the different types of environments and uses of the controllers. For example, variants of controllers are needed to address the different operating environments such as 12 volt system, 24 volt system, steam valves, fan control, dual duct, etc. . . . Thus, many variants of the hardware and software must be developed and maintained.
One approach that has been attempted to address the problem of multiple variants of hard and software was to allow custom configuration of a field device where environmental parameters would be defined and used in a customized field device for a specific location. This approach was soon identified as being labor intensive and prone to human configuration errors that resulted in additional testing and implementation time. With every BAS having numerous field devices, the cost and time for implementation made it undesirable.
What is needed in the art is an approach that will address these issues and problems identified above.